Henrico parents may pay more for healthier school lunches

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HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) - Parents in Henrico may soon pay more for their child's school lunch. The county is considering raising lunch prices by 10-cents next school year.

There is a federal law that requires all schools to make healthier options available to children. Those healthier choices, could mean higher costs for schools and parents.

The Henrico School Board will look into the possible lunch price increase during Thursday's meeting. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 mandate requires schools to implement improvements to the overall nutritional quality of what kids at school by 2015.

Some parents said their child's school already receives plenty of taxpayer money, so parents should not have to fork over more cash. Other parents said they were happy to pay more if it meant helping students eat healthier.

"I think it just gives them a choice to eat it and then it pushes it on them because some kids do not eat the healthy foods when they get home," parent Deanna Farley said.

If Henrico moves forward with the price hike, parents would pay approximately $18 more per year for their child's school lunch.

At least one parent felt the additional money would pay off in the long run.

"If you teach kids at an early age the proper way to eat, good nutrition and start them out right then we might must alleviate a whole lot of things down the road," parent Lauren Corby said.

Richmond school officials said they already raised lunch prices last year and did not have plans for another price hike. And in Chesterfield, school leaders said they were still reviewing the pricing structure.

5 comments

Aren’t we already paying more w/ the meals tax?? I’d settle for lunches that don’t make the children sick. I know quite a few parents and myself had to pack lunches on days they served chicken nuggets in elementary and middle schools.

me

If that like a hidden, indirect, additional little tax/cost/charge for
MicheleOmamaCare? If it’s the newest PC “IN” Thang it IS PC.
Don’t worry, folks, PC Law Makers want Tax Payers PAY for all
meals for kids, inside or outside of schools. So it will all be “Free”,
equally without disparity.

Joe

mark

romaine,your right children have come home with stories of purple chicken,bugs and all around nasty conditions.they want more get it from the lunch ladies that claim daily we owe more money.How about a receipt henrico

Hey Henrico the School lunch stinks now!!! And you want to charge more. Be honest you are loosing money and now you want to charge more for lunches that stink. Well guess what. We will simply pack our children’s lunches